Improvement in self-locking shutter-hinge



v@uiten listes atrnt 'i @muy H. BENJAMIN, or OAK HILL, NEW YORK, AssieNOR TO GIFEORD,

-f POTTER, AND COMPANY.

Lesers Parent No. 79,051, dans Jane 23,- 186s.

IMPROVEMENT IN SELF-LOCKING SHU'ITER-HINGE.

lTO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONGERN:

Be it known that I, E. H. BENJAMIN, of Oak Hill, in the county of Greene, and State of New York, have i invented new and useful Improvements in YHinges for Window-Blinds and Shutters; and I do hereby declare that the following is n. full, clear, 4and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part'of this specification,

Figure 1 is a'. front view of a window with my improved hinges.

Figure 2 is a. top View of one ofthe hinges.

Figure 3 is the sameview, but having the hinge in the position for lifting off orhanging the blind.

Figure 4 is a top view of the hinge when the blind is wide open.

Figure 5 isa section of'g. 4, through the line x :n of that figure.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts; l Thisinvention relates to certain improvements in window-blind hinges, whereby the same is held open by the automatic action of the hinge, ns will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

In the drawings, A und B are the plates by which the hinge is attached to the blind, E, and window-casing D in usual manner. 'i

The plate B is formed withA a slotted projection, b, by which the pintle-plateP, which is made in a. separate 'piecefand with aitongue, z', for fitting in the slot of the-said slotted projection, is attached to the plate B, and

when thus'tted, the pintle-plate and plate B 'forn one part of the hinge.

The tongue z' is shown fitting into and filling the-slot at the sectional View of tig. 5. Rising vertically from the pintle-plate is the pintle F, on which ts the eye of Ia projection, G, cast on the plate A,

This projectionis provided with a hole, d', which catches, when the blind is opened, on a stud, f, formefLon the pintle-plate P, whereby the blind is held lopen.

The formation of the hingecontributing to. this operation otlcatching just mentioned, will new be set forth.

The eye of the projection G is formed in part by a semi-cylindrical extension of the same, lettered fr', which forms, with the adjacent part m ofthe eye, two shoulders, `one of which is-seen at n, g'. 1, the other being opposite thereto.

In iig. 2, the' similar uppershoulders n are shown,`land though, they do not conduce in any way to the -action of theV hinge, they indicate in the drawing the positioh of the lower' shoulders, whichare directly under,

them, and which limit laterally the saine cylindriczlrextension.

Figurel5-exhibits the extension in the recess, the bottom of' which latter being lower than the upper surd face of the pintleplate, on which the extension o' impinges when the blind is closed, or before it has arrived completely back to the position shown'in fig. 4, but when the blind does arrive in the last-named position, the

lower end ofthe extension r passes from the surface of the pintle-plate, which sustained it, and drops by the v weight of the blind-into the recess, whereby the studf, which lwas then brought directly under the hole d, passes through the said/hole as the blind descends, and holds the latter from being blown to' again.

When the blind is to be closed, it is simply necessary to raise it, so that the extension shall rise :from the recess, when the blindcan bedrawn to. y y

The recess and extension contribute somewhat to the catching and holding of the blind, but the device which will resist the most violent action of the wind is the studf and holed, for, being somewhat removed from the centre of vibration of the blind, it olers increased resistance, and from the positive nature of its hold, it cannot become disconnected by the most violent and spasmodic gusts.

A stop, s, is formed on the plate B, as shown, for the purpose of keeping the eye down on its pintle, which Ascrew-head by the said rib.

it does byencpnntcring the rib z, formed on the extension r, when the blind is raised more than is required to lift the extension from the recess. l V

A notch, 0,. in the said rib, permits the' blind to be lifted oifor h ung on the hinge. Y Fig. 3 shows the blind in the proper position for being lifted off orhung on, for the notch o will permit the passage ofthe stop at that point and at no other. y f

The pintle-plate P is'formed, as before stated, in a separate piece, and for two purposes, the first being that it can be more cheaply and easily made in that manner by casting or stamping, and the second being that it is then reversible, land can be placed in a contrary direction to that shown in the drawing, wherebyr the same hin-ge is availablev for a right or left-hand blind, and the parts can betaken indiscriminately and {ittcd as for a right or left blind, as circumstances require.

A second stop, s', is formed in aproper corresponding position for operatiugin a like manner to tbe stop 's j labove described.

The'pintlepa-te is held down upon the projection b by a screw, k, fitting, when screwed up, against a raised semicircular rib, q.

This rib is just at und above an oblong hole or slot -for the screw lc, and the concave side of the rib beingA bevelled to correspond to the bevelled heads of tlieordinary wood-screws used for hinges, it will actuate the head of the screw downward as thexlatter is screwed against it, whereby the lower edge of the screw-head is made to bear upon the pintle-plate, for the oblong hole or slot will permit such downward actuation of the The pintle-plate can thus be clamped rml'y, and its tongue, z', itting with finished contact within the slot of theiprojection Z,conduce to the rm 'attachment of the pintle-plate.

When the pint1e-plate is to be reversed in the manner before described, it is only Arequired to withdrawfthe screw when the proportionate dimensions of the tongue 't' and its slot, and thoseof the oblong hole o r slot of the screw la, 'will permit the tongue to be turned out laterally, and theA pintle-p1ate removed, for the'slot'of the Ascrew k and the slot of the projection b merge into each other, and are continuous and connected..

The hinge above set forth is simple, cheap, durable, and not liable to break.

I am aware .that hinges have beenrnade upon a principle of action remotely'similar to mine, but they have been discarded in practice to a great extent from certain .disadvantagesattending their use.

My invention obviates such disadvantages and provides a hinge for the purpose set forth, -which isperfecg;` in its operation.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent-n 1. The reversible pintle-plate P, provided with a curved recess, the pintlc F, and piaf, and adapted to be secured to the arm b of the right-angular plate B by means of the tongue z' and screw k, all .constructed and arranged as described, for the purpose specified.

2. The perforated projection Gr cast upon the plate A, and provided with the notched rib z and semiclircular extension r, in combination with the recessed pintle-plate P and right-angular plate B, having the stops S S', all constructed and arranged as described, to produce a reversible shutter-hinge, as herein set forth.

3. The semicircular rib q, or its equivalent, substantially as shown and described, in combination with the screw k and pintle-plate P, for the purpose of holding the latter firmly, all as set forth.

4. The tongue z' of the pintleplate P, or its equivalent, substantially as shown and described, in combina tion with the slotted projection be, for the purpose of permitting the firm attachment of the pntle-plate, all as set forth.

-The above specification of my invention signed byme, this 3d day of December, 1867.

H. BENJAMIN.

Witnesses:

WM. M. Rues, O. W. HENRY. 

